Better Know A Badger: Boyd Dietzen
Wisconsin's 2018 signing class will be joining the team full-time in June, so BadgerBlitz.com will be checking in with the team's incoming freshmen as they make the jump from being high school prospects to a Wisconsin student-athlete.
Boyd Dietzen, a three-star defensive lineman from Appleton, Wis., spoke with BadgerBlitz.com about how he's feeling now that his career with the Badgers is right around the corner. Our questions and his answers are included below.
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I know it was a couple of months ago by now, but how did it feel to send in your letter of intent to the Badgers after committing so early on in the process?
Boyd Dietzen: It was the greatest feeling, because Wisconsin has always been my dream school and I’ve always wanted to go there. And when the offer came I knew (it) and committed the next day.
You're an in-state guy from a big-time program - what did it mean to you to get that scholarship offer from Wisconsin?
Boyd Dietzen: It meant so much, because I know couple of guys there and I know how they feel about it, and they love being a part of that program. I just wanted to join them and join the culture that the Badgers have when I got to college.
Did you have to take much time to think about the offer from them before committing? Were you temped to commit on the spot or did you have to take a breath and think on it for a bit?
Boyd Dietzen: I got the offer the day I went to a basketball game, and then I went home and slept on it and committed the next morning. I did sleep on it, but I knew it was the place for me. I wanted to go to Wisconsin no matter what.
Were there other schools who kept pursuing you after you committed? Or did they get the impression that you were solid to Wisconsin after getting that offer?
Boyd Dietzen: Before I committed to Wisconsin I did call the other schools who were recruiting me and thanked them for their interest and then told them that Wisconsin was where I was going to go. Most of them were understanding - they knew I was a Wisconsin kid and thought that was where I would want to go.
What was it about the Badgers that made them stand out right from the start? Was it just that they were the program you grew up following, or was there more to it?
Boyd Dietzen: The campus is beautiful. It’s right on the lakes, which is great. And knowing some of the people who are playing there already and loving it was helpful. Plus being so close to home - it’s only about two hours away from where I live. It’s easy for family to come for games or for me to come home if I need to. It’s all perfect.
What do you think you will remember from playing high school sports even after you move on to college? Is there a game or a season that you will remember in particular?
Boyd Dietzen: I think it kind of hit me - we won the state championship for our track team, and I realized that we’ve played eight seasons of sports in high school and we won six state championships. Just thinking about that was pretty crazy. If there was one moment I would probably say my sophomore year during the state championship game, we were down about 21 points and then coming back from that to win is what stands out the most.
Do you remember when you realized that you had a real chance to become a Division 1 player? Did anyone sit you down and say 'Hey, play your cards right and this could work out for you'?
Boyd Dietzen: I think it kind of came from my coach. I played a little bit as a sophomore but ended up starting by the end of my sophomore season. I just kept growing and then before my junior year he told me that if I did everything right I could get a scholarship somewhere. At that point I wasn’t big enough - I didn’t know if I could go to the Big Ten or somewhere smaller, but once I got my first offer it just kept rolling from there.
Who are the NFL or college players that you like watching the most right now? Anyone from your position or just someone who is exciting to watch?
Boyd Dietzen: I think J.J. Watt is the top one just because he’s a great player, but also A.J. Klein. He went to the high school that I go to - he was undersized too back then, but I love watching him start with the Saints now and how he’s grown since he was in high school.
What are you looking forward to the most about getting on campus with the Badgers?
Boyd Dietzen: I would say just being around the guys all the time, and being out on my own a little bit. It will be hard, I’ll miss my family a lot. But I think I’ll like it when I get into the swing of things.
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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.